RICHMOND, Va. -- Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan took a matter-of-fact approach to the team's tight end situation: It’s unfortunate; it’s also part of the job. And now his job is to find replacements.
The Redskins lost two tight ends -- starter Niles Paul and backup Logan Paulsen -- and now must add more, which is why they had two players working out at that position Sunday morning, watched by McCloughan, his staff and several coaches. A third, D.J. Williams, will work out Sunday afternoon, according to a source.
UPDATE: Ernst Brun tweeted Sunday afternoon that he had signed with the Redskins. The former Iowa State tight end last played in 2013, when he battled injuries and caught six passes for 47 yards in eight games for Iowa State. The previous season, he caught 26 passes for 330 yards and six scores.
God is good! I'm a Washington Redskin! #GoSkins
— Ernst Brun Jr (@EBRUNJR) August 16, 2015There has been no interest expressed in former Redskins tight end Chris Cooley -- a source has been consistent in saying that the past few weeks. An NFL rule prohibits teams from signing ex-players who have been on their payroll for the past year, but it’s also a rule that could be challenged if the team wanted.
“I’m not going there,” McCloughan said. “Chris Cooley is a really good Redskin. He’s part of the Redskins still. I’m not going there.”
The Redskins had wanted to add another tight end before the season-ending injuries to Paul and Paulsen, who was not a lock to make the final roster. But it was not a position of depth either in the draft or free agency this offseason.
“With college systems nowadays with the spread, there’s not many tight ends to come out the last couple years in the draft,” McCloughan said. “But I have a great personnel staff and they’re on it. That’s one of the positions when we got done with the draft, we’ve tried to facilitate and make sure it goes forward. It’s tough, but they’re out there and we just have to do what we can do.
“It’s an ongoing process. Hopefully we stay healthy the rest of the way through three preseason games. But if not, it’s part of the business. It’s a bad part, but you have to be ready.”
The Redskins have Jordan Reed, who has missed a combined 12 games the past two seasons. But even before the injuries to others, he’s their main pass-receiving target. But after him are three unproven players: Chase Dixon, Je'Ron Hamm and Devin Mahina. Dixon and Hamm were on the Redskins’ practice squad last season; Mahina is an undrafted free agent.
McCloughan said one of them has started to separate from the others, but declined to say who. In 11-on-11 work Saturday, Hamm worked with the starting group.
“All three are young and it’s a process of learning how to do our system,” McCloughan said. “I’m excited about them."
